Chuck vs Making Things Right
by chuckquinn
Summary: Talk to a Chuck fan and it usually comes back to the same place, the first half of season 3 hurt. This is my attempt to make it better. Cannon through two seasons, and then down the rabbit hole we go. Charah


a/n: First half of season 3 was not good. I would like a chance to fix it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Chuck

* * *

Sarah: Here is your ticket and your new passport. Your name is Hector Caldaron.

Chuck: Sarah, wait.

Sarah: We have plenty of time to talk on the train. Right now we have to act fast. Trust me, Chuck. It's all going to work out fine. [She kisses him] That's not the kiss that I was expecting.

Chuck: Sarah, there is an entire facility here dedicated and designed to turning me into Intersect 2. 0. I mean, think about it. Think about that. Me, a real spy, you know, living a life of adventure, and doing things that really matter.

Sarah: It's not that simple. You don't know who you're working for. It's complicated. Nothing is real. This... This is simple. This is a real life. [bells clanging] We have to go, Chuck. This is it. Are you coming? [train whistle]

Chuck: I can't. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Sarah: You were right, do it.

Bryce: Sorry, Buddy. [Whack]

 **-ooooo-**

 _Three weeks ago_

His eyes opened, he wasn't dead, again. He kept almost dying, but not quite dying. He thought about what he had said to Chuck. They were going to be a team, not him, they. He wanted to be a part of it, but if he didn't do something soon, there wouldn't be a team for him to be on. Chuck was bound to do something stupid, and a lot of that was his fault. He lay there, frustrated. He knew what was coming, he knew players that Beckman didn't know about, and he would warn them, but right now, he needed not to hurt so bad. He was stunned to see the door open and her walk through. She stared at him for a moment, like she was trying to think of the right thing to say.

"I thought you were dead," she said. She winced as soon as she said it, but he chuckled. He studied her. If he had ever loved someone, it was her, but he didn't. She was perfect, but she didn't love him. She was done as a spy. He knew it, she knew it, but his friend, were they friends? They needed to be, but regardless, he had no idea she was done. It was probably his fault if he wanted to be real honest. He had tried to keep them apart, knowing what it would do to them. He had tried to keep them apart, after he found out his friend's family secret. Chuck Bartowski was going to have the same start to his love life as his father, Bryce just hoped against hope that maybe Sarah wouldn't turn out like his mother. He studied her, she wouldn't, she was different, she wasn't the spy that Washington thought she was, but at the same time, she was more dangerous than they ever realized.

"I keep trying to die," he said, trying to grin. He really hurt. "The doctors keep figuring out ways to bring me back." She nodded. He decided enough with the chitchat. "What did they do to him?"

"They're talking about sending him to Prague for six weeks to train him," Sarah replied, looking nervous. "Bryce, they can't, it will end him."

"Does he know you're here?" Bryce asked. Sarah shook her head. "Why not?"

"Because as much as I hate to say it, you are the only one I can even trust a little with this," Sarah admitted. "Casey would just grunt and say something stinging or inappropriate. You finally seem to have it through your head, I," she paused, and Bryce grinned.

"You love him," he finished the statement for her. "You love him, and you think everything I have done, while selfish, was also to protect him." She nodded. "I'm going to be honest, it was more selfish than protecting him, but now, I have to, I have to protect him. I worked with Orion for some of it, but I wanted you back, Sarah, but I don't think I ever really had you." She looked at him, a sad smile on her face. He shrugged. "At least I was good in bed," he said with a grin. She gave him a flat look and he put his hands up to his wound. "Sarah, I've been mortally wounded."

"Again, you survived," Sarah said, grinning. "Bryce, we both know you were convenient, and I was convenient." Bryce nodded. "I'm not saying I don't care about you, but," she trailed off and looked away.

"He gets to you, doesn't he?" Bryce asked shaking his head. Sarah barked out a laugh, and when she turned there were tears in his eyes.

"How?" she asked, fighting the tears. "How does he do it?"

"He's just the guy that does the thing that he thinks is right, and that also gets him in trouble, which brings us to the next point, you're gonna need my help," Bryce said. Sarah stared at him. "Okay, when are you getting him?" Sarah just stared. "Come on, I know you."

"Three weeks," she said.

"There's your first problem, he agreed to run, right?" Bryce asked. She nodded. "And what's going to happen when he sees an entire training facility with the sole intent of making him a spy, think Sarah? Think about our boy, who's had the world take a dump on him for seven years." Sarah's eyes got wide.

"Oh, God, he's gonna want to stay," Sarah said.

"And, he won't want to leave Ellie and go on the run," Bryce added. Sarah groaned.

"What do we do?" Sarah asked.

"We kidnap him," Bryce replied.

 **-ooooo-**

 _Now_

Chuck opened his eyes. He was sitting in a chair, tied up. He needed to get out of the chair, but there was no way, unless he flashed, but he couldn't. This had been happening more and more the last three weeks. The more he was apart from Sarah, the more he couldn't flash. Beckman was starting to get fed up with it, and he was worried. If he was fired, he couldn't be a spy and he couldn't be with her. He closed his eyes, panic overtaking him. He didn't even notice the camera watching him.

If things weren't bad enough about not seeing Sarah, he swore the voice he heard before he lost consciousness was Bryce's. He'd been gone for three weeks. Had he lost her to Bryce in that time? Hell, did he ever have her to lose her? He had the Intersect, but Bryce, God, Bryce. He was suave, charming, dashing, easy on the eyes, and at Stanford it had been a revolving door of women, one of them his ex-girlfriend. The bile rose up from his stomach, and he did what he wished he wouldn't, he began to cry.

"He should be out of that," Beckman said, pinching the bridge of her nose. She looked at the two with her. "He's crying for God's sake. The man we're trying to make a spy is crying." She took a deep breath and studied the two of them. They looked ashamed. It was obvious they hated doing what they were doing, but they had made their point. When they both came to her, telling her how it would all go wrong if they tried to train Chuck in Prague, they had almost gotten it exactly right. The longer Chuck Bartowski was away from Burbank, his friends, and Sarah Walker, the more infrequent his flashes became. She glanced at Bryce, she knew that him being around also wasn't helping Chuck. Time to face the consequences. "I really should of listened to you two, especially you, Sarah." Sarah looked at Beckman. "Oh, let's be honest, me treating him like a spy isn't working, because he isn't."

"General, you have to throw out the book with him, but he gets results," Bryce said. "I bet he can get out of those ropes and that room in a minute." Beckman looked at him and then at Sarah.

"Make him think Agent Walker is in trouble," Beckman said. Bryce nodded. "This is a bad idea."

"No, General, this Intersect is being used wrong," Bryce replied. Beckman looked at him. "Chuck would have been the Intersect if not for Stanford, so if he is supposed to be the Intersect, then what is the problem?"

"The way we're handling him," Beckman said. "Okay, you two are right, what do you want or need to run this operation?"

"He'll never trust me being in charge, but I know the most about the Ring, so I need to be part of the team, and you need to promote Sarah to Special Agent so no one tries to take over this mission," Bryce began. Beckman looked at him. "Daniel Shaw has already been making noise, hasn't he?" Beckman gave him a long look. "Don't ask what you don't want to hear."

"Oh, God," Beckman replied. "How bad is it, Bryce?"

"Bad, and he's your best chance," Bryce added, pointing at Chuck, who was still sobbing. Bryce swore he heard Chuck say something about why Sarah why. The look on Sarah's face said he was right. He ignored it and pushed on. "Also, no red test." Beckman started to protest. "General, the Intersect is controlled by emotions, and you know Chuck." Beckman looked up at the ceiling.

"Okay, no red test," she conceded. She saw the look on Sarah's face and decided she would have some fun. "I already know the last demand," Beckman said. "My position still stands, assets shouldn't date agents."

"General," Sarah began.

"No, Agent Walker, my position stands, as silly as it is, it was protocol for a reason, therefore, I will make Chuck a full Agent, but Agent Larkin, you are in charge of his training, also Colonel Casey remains a part of the team," Beckman said. Sarah was all smiles, Bryce was not.

"He can't shoot me," Bryce said. "Casey," he added. "Casey can't shoot me anymore." Beckman studied him, a grin on her face.

"Agreed," Beckman finally said. "But if you try something Agent Walker has my permission." Sarah grinned.

"General, the new agent and I would like to take a vacation while Agent Larkin recovers," Sarah said with the grin on her face growing.

"You want me to leave you here with Agent Bartwoski, for three weeks on a train, and you be his only protection?" Beckman asked, an eyebrow raised. Sarah didn't even hide the smirk. "About damn time, Walker," she said. "Approved." She turned to Bryce.

"Oh, I'm leaving," he said, his hands in the air, in a defensive posture. "Those two don't need me around." Beckman looked from one to the other.

"And this," she said, leaving it at that.

"A dalliance in the past, that was more a convenience than a romance," Bryce said. "We are professionals where this is all concerned." He glanced at Sarah and then turned back to Beckman. "Frankly, General, we care about the guy, I know I've had a funny way of showing it, but he's one of the best men I ever met, so I'm out to watch over him." Sarah nodded. Beckman nodded and left the room. Bryce spun toward Sarah. "Okay, remember, he has issues, take him off of that pedestal, he is human. Also, he doesn't think he deserves you, and a lot of that is my fault."

"Maybe I should keep him tied up while I discuss some of this with him," she said, grinning. Bryce returned the grin.

"I don't need to know those details," Bryce said. Sarah pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you, Bryce, and for the record, I'm glad you're okay," Sarah said. Bryce winked at her as he broke the hug.

"Me too, Sarah, me too," he said. "Talk to him," he said as he left the train car. Sarah stood there a minute. There was so much she needed to say, but she wasn't good with words. Tonight, she had to be. She was going to say all the things she had been holding in, because it was his only chance. Chuck Bartowski was a spy, and if she didn't tell him everything, his emotions were going to get him killed, and that was unacceptable. She turned off the camera feed and left the room.

 **-ooooo-**

The door slid open, and the light from the hallway nearly blinded him, but he knew who it was. He'd recognize that form anywhere.

"Sarah," he said, between sobs. She didn't say anything, her agent mask on her face. He felt more than a little nervous. She grabbed a metal chair, turned it around backwards, and straddle it. Her arms crossed over the back and she just stared at him. "I think you misunderstood earlier." She slapped her hand on a table beside her, and Chuck jumped as well as a man who was tied to a chair could jump.

"Two. Years. Chuck," she said softly but intensely. He gulped. "Two long God-forsaken years. I have watched you, took care of you, and protected you."

"Now there have been some," he began, and she slapped the table again. "You know what, everything that went wrong was my fault," he blurted out.

"I went into a Buy More, Chuck," Sarah said, her blue eyes crackling. Chuck was lost in there. He was terrified and more turned on than he had ever been in his life, and that included Barstow. "I make men eat out of my hand and get them to do exactly what I want, with no sex required, constantly, and then I meet you." Chuck wasn't quite sure where this was going. "I was doing my damn job, Chuck. My job, and this curly haired, idiot, nerd, told a little girl that real ballerinas were tall! I'm tall, Chuck! I could have been a freakin ballerina!"

"You would have been the best ballerina," Chuck said quickly.

"You're damn right I would have been!" she said. "I ask you to trust me, and you said you would, and then when the time came, you didn't."

"But it was the wrong move," he blurted out.

"I KNOW IT WAS!" she yelled, frustrated beyond belief. Chuck stared at her as she ran her hand through her hair. "For three weeks you've been getting worse, and do you know why?" she asked, with a glint in her eye that he wasn't sure how to take. He shook his head, scared to answer. "Because you think Bryce and I are doing all sorts of things together since he's in Burbank and you're not."

"That's not," he began.

"You are tied to that chair, you can't flash," she said simply. He looked down. "He's not the man I'm in love with you idiot." Chuck whipped his head up, looking at her. "The problem is the guy I love doesn't think he deserves me, he thinks he has to be a spy."

"No, I don't I just know we can't be together if I'm not," Chuck retorted.

"Really, that's all this is, none of this is so you can be the 'James Bond' guy to sweep me off my feet?" she asked. "Again, you're tied up and haven't flashed."

"I feel there is no answer that doesn't get me in trouble here," Chuck admitted.

"That's the first smart thing you've said today," Sarah said.

"I love you," he said. She stared at him, and then shook her head.

"Okay, there's two, you going for three?" she asked. He just smiled at her. "Look, you're right, we shouldn't run, but you aren't cut out to be a spy, because you're too good of a person. That's not a knock on you."

"This guy you love," Chuck said softly. "Do I know him?" She looked at him.

"Do you really want to have this conversation and all it entails, Chuck?" she asked, popping the "k". Chuck nodded. "Yes, you know him." He sat there very quietly. "He's the best person I know, he saves the world constantly, and the world never even knows. He willing took on the biggest personal risk of his life, just to save me and my partner, thinking he knew what he was getting into."

"And he's not a spy?" Chuck asked, grinning. Sarah shook her head.

"No, he's a spy," Sarah admitted. Chuck looked sick, and swallowed. "Today, Beckman made him a spy, and put him on my team." Chuck looked confused. "I also got a promotion to Special Agent," she said smiling. "I guess that means he will be under me, a lot." Chuck's eyes got wide. "That came out wrong," she thought for a second and shrugged. "Or, maybe not." Chuck looked sick. Sarah got up from the chair, walked over, and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. "So, I also got approved three weeks of vacation time, as did he, and I was thinking of spending it on this train. It's heading to Paris."

"I've always wanted to go to Paris," Chuck said softly.

"Really?" she said. "Do you want to take someone, see the Eifel Tower, and do unspeakable things to her in your hotel room?" She took Chuck's face, gently but firmly and looked him right in the eye. "Because that's what I want to do."

"Sarah, you should go spend time with the guy you love," he said. Sarah nodded.

"I am, Chuck, or should I say Agent Bartwoski," Sarah said. Chuck's eyes about popped out of his head as he finally grasped what she was saying. She unbuttoned the rest of his shirt.

"Uh, Sarah," Chuck said.

"Shut. Up." Chuck nodded. She kissed him soundly. Barstow had nothing on this kiss, the one in front of the bomb was like a peck on the lips, the one in front of Roan was like kissing someone on the cheek. This one said it was the first of many, and he was going to like it, or she was going to make him like it. She broke it and looked him in the eye.

"I really need to use the bathroom," he said, and she brought her forehead to his, laughing. She began to untie him. "Sarah, I love you."

"I love you, Chuck, but we still need to talk," she said.

"We can talk about anything you want, nothing can ruin this," Chuck said.

"Bryce is on the team," Sarah replied, looking at him as she said it. His lips flattened, and cheeks puffed out.

"I was wrong," he replied.

* * *

a/n: Sarah vs Finding Her Nerd is probably over, unless anyone has a good idea where to take it next. Thanks for reading.


End file.
